The subject matter disclosed herein relates to compressors and, more particularly, to a compressor blade tip geometry for reducing tip stresses and increasing tip rub tolerance.
Gas turbine systems typically include at least one gas turbine engine having a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor is configured to use compressor blades to compress and feed air into the combustor for combustion with fuel. For instance, the compressor blades may extend radially outwards from a supporting rotor disk, and the rotation of the compressor blades may force air into the combustor. Unfortunately, compressor blades experience high stresses due to elevated temperatures, fatigue, and elevated pressures. Additionally, the tips of compressor blades can potentially rub against the wall of the compressor, adding additional stress to the tip portions of the compressor blades. The high stresses experienced by compressor blades may cause the tips to suffer from tip liberations, such as cracks or fractures. In certain circumstances, cracks or fractures may cause leakage around the tips of the compressor blades, which subsequently decreases the efficiency of the compressor. As a result, damaged compressor blades may require that the compressor be shut down to repair or replace the damaged compressor blades.